Book Covers

January 30, 2008

I’m curious about the kinds of assumptions readers make about books based on their covers. So, with the following samples:

(1) Who do you think is the target audience? (2) What genre or subgenre do you think the book belongs to? (3) Would you be comfortable being seen reading this book in the subway, in terms of what you think it tells people about your reading tastes?

Yep, this is totally unscientific. You can also comment anonymously if that helps you be more frank. Remember, we’re saying nothing about the quality of the book in question, and no cheating by looking these titles up on the intertubes!

This was very fun, of course I wonder if the influence of cover art is declining as the internet becomes the dominate place to browse for books. I know that I’m much more influenced by title, description, and blurb (I guess I’ve grown used to hating much of the cover art on books that I read).

This exercise brings up an example that has haunted me for a couple of years: The cover art on the US Hardcover of Steven Erikson’s “Gardens of the Moon.” As per usual, the UK covers were just plain cool, yet that one particular jacket was made fun of perpetually in the bookstore where I work, mainly by our genre readers.

Most of the covers above would drive me toward buying a Kindle ;)

#1 – Female audience, Paranormal Romance or Young Adult Series, Uncomfortable (‘Cause I’m macho) #2 – Male audience, Military SF, Uncomfortable (Unless I’m showing off my support for a self-published friend) #3 – Both sexes, Epic Fantasy, Not Uncomfortable (I really like the background, yet the dagger-clutching image in the middle is a bit much) #4 – Both sexes, Urban Fantasy, Uncomfortable (The design is fine, I just don’t care for it) #5 – Male audience, Cyberpunk, Meh (I’d be uncomfortable due to the choice in font, but the rest is fine) #6 – Female audience, Erotica or Paranormal Romance, Uncomfortable (Again, macho) #7 – Both sexes, New Weird, Comfortable (The detail is aesthetically pleasing)

That was fun, and I’d love to know what kind of focus groups the big publishers use to pick cover art.

I only read hardcovers on the subway to hide the dustjacket along with my shame, but assuming I didn’t…

Cover 1. William Gibson fans looking for something a little more sexy, cyberpunk, no sir–pretty uncomfortable Cover 2. Gamers, soft SF/action/sexy time, Oh lord no–this cover is the definition of embarassing subway reading Cover 3. The Wee Folk and their kin, young adult fantasy (cause grown-up fantasy would have a sexier cover), I’d be fine with this Cover 4. People who only buy their books at the mall, hipster romance, not really Cover 5. Bored Douglas Adams and Red Dwarf fans, SF comedy, I’d be more worried about causing seizures every time I turned the page or scratched my nose Cover 6. The ghosts of D.H. Lawrence and Henry James, erotic horror, sure– although it depends if it’s the Sexy Subway or not…and what the hell is that cat doing on the front? Cover 7. people browsing the fantasy section at the bookstore, swashbuckling steampunk, I see no problem with this sort of thing–all my favorite books have beared men dangling from airships on them

1) Urban fantasy aimed at horny young males who might otherwise dare read it. The red is a hint to some violence behind. Probably wouldn’t read it on a subway, since I suspect it’d be a tradeback release.

2) Umm….wow. Maybe this is directed more to those curious about furries but haven’t released it yet? I think it’s SF, but wow, what a hideous cover. Again, a no on the hypothetical public read.

3) Aimed at more “traditional” secondary-world fantasy lovers, I’d have to say this is a bit flowery and tame. Not my style of book, but the cover is so bland that it wouldn’t stick out on the subway.

4) Seems to be aimed more at a younger, hip audience. Likely dark gothic or urban fantasy. Garish, but I could tolerate it being seen in public.

5) Aimed at those who dream of combining DalÃƒÂ­’s work with a kaleidoscope. Probably something a bit more surrealistic, with a “hard” SF twist. My eyes are hurting looking at that, so no on the public read.

6) Umm…poor kitty, having to see that floating towards it. Audience probably is the more “artsy” crowd, so those above the age of 25 who dig garden sculpture porn. Umm…a no on the subway read.

7) This last cover is obviously at that those who like their pirates to have a “softer” side and who like to commune with nature. Probably a “high concept” secondary-world fantasy that appeals most strongly to those who have tastes for the odd, especially for squid-like forms. I’d read it on the subway, I suppose…

Cover 1: Target audience would be fans of Laurell K. Hamilton’s work and the like. Looks like urban fantasy/horror to me. Probably a little too cheap looking to me to feel comfortable reading it at, say, the workplace.

Cover 2: Target audience would be fans of LKH’s work who want some sci fi thrown in! ;) I would guess sci fi as a genre, not sure of a subgenre within sci fi. Oddly enough I should feel the same way about this one as I do the first cover but I don’t. I’d be quasi-okay with reading this in public.

Cover 3: Target audience would be the kind of fantasy that have Tom Canty’s artwork on them. That is what this reminds me of. Looks like fantasy. No, wouldn’t be embarrassed.

Cover 4: I would think adult reader’s of LKH-type fiction again, but I think I’ve seen this in the YA or Teen section of the store so that is the target audience. Wouldn’t be embarrassed to be seen with this one.

Cover 5: Kids? Young adults? I have no idea what age the target audience with this one would be. The title makes me assume sci fi as a genre. Nothing embarrassing about this cover other than I think it is poorly done.

Cover 6: Target audience: those who like paranormal romance? And cats? I would think this would be in the romance or contemporary fiction section of the bookstore. I actually do like the cover so I wouldn’t mind reading this in public despite its slight naughtiness. It has a bit of a sophisticated naughtiness to the look.

Cover 7: Fantasy readers. Fantasy genre. I have actually heard some stuff about this one and it sounds interesting. Even though the cover art is nicely done, the main character just looks too gay. And I mean that in the flamboyant sense, not as a knock against anyone’s sexuality. It is more in the way his stance is portrayed or something. I would probably leave this dustjacket at home.

(1) Who do you think is the target audience? (2) What genre or subgenre do you think the book belongs to? (3) Would you be comfortable being seen reading this book in the subway, in terms of what you think it tells people about your reading tastes?

(1) Who do you think is the target audience? (2) What genre or subgenre do you think the book belongs to? (3) Would you be comfortable being seen reading this book in the subway, in terms of what you think it tells people about your reading tastes?

FIRST 1) guys who want to read about hot girls kicking arse, or girls looking for more Laurell K Hamilton. 2) action driven cyberpunk that’s heavily Matrix influenced, possibly even with vampires and werewolves involved, because they’re the only people in the world who walk around in that get up and still take themselves seriously. 3) not really, because going on the cover alone, i wouldn’t pick that up.

SECOND 1) ….people with a thing for bad body paint? Is she a tiger? I HAVE IT. FURRIES. 2) SF. With animal people. 3) same as before.

THIRD 1) people who want softer stories, fairy tale-ish stories, bit of romance. 2) fairy taleish stuff. with young girls who are very unremarkable but nevertheless the fate of the world is in their hands. 3) yeah, it’s a good cover, that.

FOURTH 1) people who don’t want to be pegged as reading spec fic, haha! actually it looks like a CD cover. Probably for some emo punk band. 2) urban dark phaantasy, potentially weird 3) yup yup, could be interesting.

Keep ‘em coming. I’m going to collate the results in my spare time and post by around Monday, probably. I think I’ll start doing this on a regular basis with forthcoming releases. Some of these have already come out, of course.

I’d love to see sf/f/h titles trying something different besides the usual sf/fantasy illustration + strips of type. Genre writers frequently complain that their books aren’t bought by general readers yet allow those books to go out looking like a typical genre title which many general readers would be unlikely (or unwilling) to pick up. There are plenty of titles not doing this, of course, but they’re still in the minority. Compare M John Harrison’s recent US covers–especially the great ones for Light and Nova Swing–with their UK equivalents. Or the elegant US edition of The Terror with its UK counterpart which tries to make it seem like a pulpy horror novel.

That Black Tattoo cover caught my eye when it came out, probably because it’s the kind of thing I’d want to do myself. Contrary to my examples above, that’s the UK edition; the US version is less striking. And since I know what kind of book it is, I won’t say anything. ;)

All of them but 5 seem to belong to the girls, girls and genre nerds category. Cover 4 is the best one, but even that I am not so sure I would want to be seen on the subway reading. Personylly, chicks in tight clothing, naked backs and long knives makes me happy to return to my old leather-bounds which have nothing on the cover.

#1. (1) Paranormal romance fans (while I’ve never met said fans I’ve always assumed their middle aged women and furtive young men).(2) light Cyberpunk/romance. (3) no (I vaguely recall seeing this one before on a review site) #2. (1) 20 yo men. (2) military SF. (3) I probably wouldn’t pick it up but I wouldn’t mind being seen with it. #3. (1) Anyone who likes Hobb’s stuff (see 2). (2) Court intrigue – similar to Hobb’s assassins trilogy. (3) Same as above #4. I know this one so no comment. #5. (1) 8-12. (2) YA SF. (3) no #6. (1) People who like victoriana/romance. (2) Fantasy short stories – maybe romance flavoured though not necessarily. (3) While I’m not terribly keen on romance I’d consider it if there was a recommendation from someone who’s work I like because I’m always keen on new short story writers. I would take it out in public but not without a vague sense of embarrassment. #7. (1) Any fantasy fans. (2) Fantasy adventure possibly YA though probably not. (3) yes

3. I like this one. My initial guess would be that its target is more female than male…but really general fantasy fans; fantasy (vague fairy-tale vibe here–it reminds me of a style I remember from a decade ago or so, but with a darker undertone than those books had); sure

4. Young, hip readers; urban fantasy; sure

5. Looks like it was designed by someone overly excited to use all the features on their design program. Computer geeks, probably on the younger end though I’m not sure YA; cyber-thriller; probably not

7. I’ve seen enough info about this one that my reaction is certainly influenced by that. I don’t think I’d have guessed new weird without knowing that, but certainly looks like secondary-world fantasy of some sort, possibly with hints of SF–makes me think of the one Silverburg book I read years ago, Lord Valentine’s Castle. And sure, I wouldn’t might being seen with it.

With the caveat that I probably already know too much about books like these (without having looked at them yet), but may be bending over backward the other way to compensate:

#1: youngish women urban fantasy, probably from a smaller house (you can see the woman’s face, and she’s not tattooed) not overly embarrassed

#2: men in their 20s and 30s small-press SF, probably a fix-up, not as adventure-y as it’s trying to look only mildly

#3: female fantasy readers and whatever men stumble in epic fantasy, possibly the first in a series no

#4: (I already knew this was YA) teenagers who wear a lot of black and their older sisters moderately dark YA secondary-world fantasy no problem

#5: If I didn’t know already, I’d say: nobody some very tiny press where the owner is acting as his own art director (with as much success as he does as his own lawyer) only from an aesthetic standpoint

#6: MFA candidates at the same school as the author, reviewers, ten people from the Upper West Side who smoke above eye level something terribly literary — possibly with a fantastic element, but not necessarily (if I couldn’t read “A Novel,” I’d have bet it was poetry or short stories) not all that comfortable, no

#7: the general fantasy audience possibly fantasy, but I’ll guess SF — from a house whose art director is being “encouraged” to ape books that sold well (such as… Crystal Rain) except for the fact that it’s mass-market, no

1- Young adults or teen girls who think they’re tough/ urban spec fic/ A little bit embarrassed 2- The author’s relatives and the guy who did the cover / sci-fi / Would rather be seen getting a spanking from Rosie O’Donnell 3- Adult female fantasy readers- fans of Jennifer Roberson/ fantasy / Not embarrassed. 4- Punk rock fans/ genre? looks like an album cover, so I’ll say punk rock/ Would feel as if my IQ had dropped twenty points 5- I don’t know what the hell this is or who the hell would read it 6- Pretentious women who know a lot about sex, but not from experience / erotica with a snooty twist / Wouldn’t be seen with this one 7- Targeting the audience who enjoyed Crystal Rain but longed for a more effeminate main character/ Sci Fi with fantasy elements / Not embarrassed, but I don’t like the cover.

1. Lesbians and adolescent boys / near-future SF / not a freakin chance! / sure, if I’m killing time 2. Adolescent boys and men who aren’t getting any anymore / action SF / I’d wrap the cover from War and Rememberance around it if I was really jonesing for something to read; nice knife! / probably not 3. No freakin clue whatsoever / bone-weary fantasy / no freakin way / no freakin way 4. Body modders / ? / naw / naw 5. Scientists / New Wave SF with a twist of hip post-singularity / possible, depending on how the first page reads / yes, I guess I would 6. People who aren’t getting any anymore / soft erotic romance with ghosts / are you kidding? / can I hide behind the stacks? 7. Former D&D addicts / fantasy on alien worlds / I’d wrap the cover from The Terror around it if I was really jonesing for something to read; I’m not though / yeah, sure, maybe, if my wife is dithering about what she wants to buy and I’m waiting to go with all my other loot

For what this is worth, book covers do have an impact on whether I’ll open a book to read the first paragraph or the first page, hense the fourth, non-requested data point. A cover that sucked me into a book that changed my life was on Courtship Rite – an adolescent fist-fest if there ever was one! But I still love that book.

Okay, so now it’s time for a survey of how far off book covers can lead me…

Well if you’re smart, you’ll ignore that ridiculous maxim of not judging a book by its cover. It’s poppycock. Otherwise I’d never have known the beauties of Vance’s Dying Earth books, or the marvels of C.L. Moore (especially Jirel of Joiry)–or the joy of reading ‘Lud-in-the-Mist,’ or the breathtaking “Gloriana” by Moorcock–or many many many untold others–including–gasp!–Veniss Underground and City of Saints and Madmen. (which I discovered at the Book People here in Austin one day a few years back. I was first drawn to the interesting cover illustrations, then the blurbs solidified my interest. But after reading the first few pages of ‘Dradin, in Love,’ I was lost. But had I not allowed myself to be ‘foolishly’ swayed by the cover illustration I’d never have read any of those books.) Remember ‘Dragonworld’? One of the first fantasy books I read as a child, but the illustrations are the only thing I remember. Illustrations are powerful.

I wonder if I’m verging on an essay here. Just need 2 more points and a reinforcing conclusion. =D

5. Humorous SF? Slipstream? New weird? I have no idea WTF this fugliness is about, which is bothersome. Pass!

6. “Oh hai, I haz a seven-figure advance for pretending my speculative fikshun is serius litrachure.” This author will never step foot inside a genre convention, but they’ll be able to pay off their college loans.

7. Science-fantasy with steampunk elements? Not sure. Beautiful cover, but I’ll wait for the paperback.

(1) Who do you think is the target audience? (2) What genre or subgenre do you think the book belongs to? (3) Would you be comfortable being seen reading this book in the subway, in terms of what you think it tells people about your reading tastes?

Cover 1: 1) women 2) paranormal romance 3) they’d be wrong if they thought it was what I read primarily, but I don’t care, so sure, I’d be comfortable

Cover 2: 1) science fiction readers 2) science fiction 3) yes, would be comfortable 4) (comment) I wouldn’t be tempted to buy this book based on the cover (and I acknowledge that I AM very much influenced by covers) because it looks amateurish

Cover 4: 1) Jacqueline Carey fans 2) fantasy erotica 3) yes, would be comfortable 4) comment: assume the artist is John Jude Palencar? Also, wonder how long until people show up with that tattoo?

Cover 5: 1) ??? 2) science fiction (based on book’s title) 3) yes, would be comfortable 4) (comment) I wouldn’t be tempted to buy this book based on the cover (and I acknowledge that I AM very much influenced by covers) because it looks amateurish — and, in this case, as though the publisher wasn’t willing to put $ into cover art

Cover 6: 1) cat lovers? 2) fantasy 3) yes, would be comfortable

Cover 7: 1) genre readers who love airships! 2) fantasy 3) yes, would be comfortable 4) from this cover, I would at least read the publishers blurb on back or inside, because, well, airships!

I’m sorry, I fell asleep last night reading semiliterate Youtube comments by testosterone-addled 13 year olds and I woke up this afternoon hunched over a strange computer with my fingers cramped from typing I don’t even remember doing. Oh god what might I have done?

#1 women in 20’s & 30’s. Seems like urban fantasy with strong female protag. Probably sexy, too. I’d rather not read this in public, cause cover looks a bit on the “women as sex objects” thing.

#2 sci-fi. Aimed at both women and men (action scene in back and skin-tight outfit makes me think “catch the male eye”, while the strong female with weapon makes me think “Buffy” tough). I’d rather not read this in public, but I wouldn’t cover it up. The outfit is odd enough and the weapon clear enough that she looks tough rather than cheesecakey.

#3 Fantasy. Aimed at women. Very nice cover. I’m female and I’d pick this up and look at it. Has a “fairy tale” feel, this cover, like a reader of McKinley might like it. The “hidden city” title makes me think might be “entrance to other world” type fantasy. Wouldn’t think twice about reading this in public. Might even show off the cool cover on purpose.

#4 Aimed at young (or hip at heart) men. Dark fantasy. Has a rocker vibe. Kinda sexy, which could also draw in the damsels. No problem reading in public.

#5 Sci-fi. The artsiness and color makes me think they wanted to go for both men and women (the quantum says “hard” science and may go for the guys; while the “July” with those colors makes me think brightly sunlit festivals). The font is hideous. Makes me think “cheap” or self-pubbed. But I like the colorfulness. I’d look at the blurb out of curiosity to figure out what it all means. No problem reading in public.

#6. Hmm. Literate erotica? Maybe paranormal sex? Aimed at females? That whole wispy thing and the cat makes me think female audience. But the emphasis on the bosom makes me think male. Hard to say there. A slight qualm about reading in public, especially if there are grannies about or church deacons. I don’t want to have to say, “No, no, it’s not porn, really.”

#7 adventure fantasy. Aimed more at males, perhaps, but not exclusively. (The warm tones are inviting, but it says ADVENTURE! with that perspective and daring dangling.) The title seems at odds with the scene, so I’d look at the blurb to see what “Thunderer” means. No problem reading in public. Cover that most clearly says, “fantasy.” And when I read fiction in public places, it’s usually fantasy, so there. (In fact, I’m gonna go to amazon right now and find out about it. It’s got me curious. As well as The Hidden City. Those two covers got me interested.)

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About Jeff VanderMeer

Photo by Kyle Cassidy

Jeff VanderMeer's most recent fiction is the NYT-bestselling Southern Reach trilogy (Annihilation, Authority, and Acceptance), released in 2014 by Farrar, Straus and Giroux. Foreign rights have sold in 17 countries and the movie rights have been acquired by Paramount Pictures/Scott Rudin Productions. His latest nonfiction books include Wonderbook: The Illustrated Guide to Creating Imaginative Fiction (Abrams Image). His nonfiction has appeared in the New York Times, the Guardian, the Washington Post, Atlantic.com, Vulture.com, and the Los Angeles Times. VanderMeer recently taught at the Yale Writers’ Conference and has lectured at MIT and the Library of Congress. You can contact him at pressinfo at vandermeercreative.com. (Author photo by Kyle Cassidy.) More...